The recall of a supply of brand name meat products imported and sold in Bermuda has been expanded in the United States after more E. coli bacteria was found.

The US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USAFSI) made the announcement last week and yesterday, the US Consulate in Bermuda moved to update the public. Approximately 21.7 million pounds of frozen ground beef made by Topps Meat Company in New Jersey, is affected, after the company made the voluntary recall on September 25.

There are currently 25 cases of the illness E-coli under investigation in eight US States that's believed to be connected to the tainted beef.

Yesterday, an employee at The MarketPlace chain of supermarkets, the largest on the Island, told The Royal Gazette all of the affected brands were removed from store shelves last week, after the initial recall. And only turkey products bearing the brand name remained in stores, as they are not affected by the US recall.

"We don't have any of those ones," said the employee, "we took them off the shelves. The only thing we have is the turkey versions and maybe patties, which are not being recalled.

"All eight of our stores had to take everything off – you're not going to find any in our stores."

Dr. Brenda Davidson, Senior officer, at the Department of Health, confirmed the affected products were known to have been sold on the Island prior to the initial recall and was confident last night, that most if not all of them, have been removed from store shelves. The beef sold on Island may bear the brand names; "Mike's 12 Seasoned Beef Patties" (three and five pound boxes), "Topps 100% Pure Ground Beef Hamburgers" (one to eight-pound boxes) and "Topps Sirloin Steak Burgers with Fire Roasted Onions", or with "Portabella Mushrooms".

Frozen products still in commerce with an unexpired sell-by dates are also subject to this recall expansion.

The USAFSI recommends that consumers look for the recalled products and return them to their point of purchase if discovered in their freezers.